Something Different
by pineappletop92
Summary: Albus Severus Potter always knew he was different, but it has nothing to do with his father or whom he was named after.  He just wasn't sure exactly what made him so different.  Until now.  ONESHOT.


**A/N: Well, hello Potter fandom! It's been a long time since I've been here. But, as it were, I was reading a fanfic yesterday morning and, it being five in the morning, was struck with this idea quite randomly. I've sent it off to my beta to be checked over, but I know for a fact that she won't be getting around to it anytime soon, and really wanted to get it posted (because I am unfortunately impatient). So for now, enjoy it as it is, without the fine-tuning I'm sure she'll make me do. **

_**Disclaimer: Why, yes I do own Harry Potter, actually. I have all seven books on my shelf and movies 1-4. Oh, the copyrights to Harry Potter? No. Unfortunately, I do not own those.**_

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><p>Albus Severus Potter always knew he was different.<p>

It had nothing to do with the fact that he was the son of the famous Harry and Ginny Potter, although that was the most obvious reason for the whispers that would follow him from time to time in the corridors of Hogwarts. And while the whispers were never actually _bad_ – just people repeating rumors about his father or talking about his mother's latest game, or worse, discussing his brother's latest exploits in the Room of Requirement – they still set him apart from everyone else.

But no. That wasn't what had him suddenly red in the face, flustered and struggling to find the right words as he suddenly realized just _what_ made him different from even his older brother.

And no, it wasn't the glasses or the color of his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

Albus gulped, hoping the red stain on his cheeks wasn't all that noticeable. He nodded, feeling his glasses begin to slide down his suddenly sweaty nose. Hastily, he reached up to push them back in place, and as a result, dropped the stack of books he had been carrying back to the library.

With several thuds they fell to the ground at his feet. He winced and quickly dropped to his knees, silently wishing that he hadn't looked like such a fool in front of this being who had made his heartbeat flutter so easily.

"Here, let me help you with that."

And then suddenly there was another body on the floor beside him, and a hand was reaching for the same book he was reaching for, and their fingers brushed-

It was like an electric shock jolting through his body.

Albus heard a gasp. Holding his own breath, his slowly looked up at the other person, meeting those blue eyes directly for what felt like the first time. The eyes were looking back at him, wide with astonishment. Then, Albus watched as a rose colored brush rose along the other's cheeks to match his.

Slowly, Albus picked up the rest of his books and rose to his feet. The other person hadn't moved from his spot on the floor, but those blue eyes had followed his movement to stand up.

Albus shakily reached out a hand for his best friend to take.

A hand grasped his, and with a tug, Albus pulled the other to stand before him. Someone stumbled, he wasn't sure who, and suddenly they were _quite_ close – his arm trapped between their chests, noses ghosting over each other, breath mingling – and all Albus wanted to do was reach out and bring their lips together.

Noah beat him to it.

And suddenly, everything felt _right_.

Albus wasn't sure when things had changed between the two of them – when he had fallen for his best friend – but something had made him realize that yes, Albus Severus Potter liked boys, and yes, Albus Severus Potter was in love with his best friend Noah.

Perhaps it was the way he had smiled at him whenever Albus had cracked that joke about the Potions master. Or maybe it was the way he would always make Albus come with him to sneak up to the girls' dormitories – just so they could slide down when the stairs disappeared from under them, laughing and falling over in a heap at the bottom. It might have been the way he always knew just what to say when Albus' inherited temper started to flare to calm him down a measure almost instantly. Or maybe it was the way he flew gracefully in the air on his broomstick, agile and lithe enough for his position as Seeker, almost like an arrow in comparison to the hippogriff that Albus felt like in comparison as a Chaser. Or maybe-

Whatever it was, Albus didn't know exactly when he had fallen in love with Noah. But when he had turned around just now and started randomly singing the lyrics to the latest hit from The Witches Brew, dancing manically in the empty corridor, something inside Albus opened up and revealed itself to him. And that was when he knew that he was in love with his best friend, leaving him feeling slightly breathless from the revelation and, oh yeah, the fact that Noah looked stunning as he danced over to Albus before pausing and asking

"Are…are you alright?"

Albus blinked his eyes open, feeling as if he was in a haze. The air felt hot and heavy around him, the feeling of Noah's chapped lips still ghosting over his. He found himself staring at those blue eyes again, discovering a look mixed with fear and hope as Noah sought his own eyes for answers. Albus licked his lips, not sure if he could remember how to move his head to make it nod.

His silence seemed to give Noah an answer and he dropped his arms from where they had been wrapped around Albus. Almost immediately he wanted them back, to never leave his embrace again.

"Crap," Noah was saying. "That was stupid of me. Of course you're not alright. You're in shock because I just kissed you and now you're gonna hate me and oh, Merlin's beard, I don't think I'll be able to handle that because I really like being around you and can we forget this ever happened because-"

Albus, finally coming to his senses – _and noting that Noah's rambles were another thing he loved about him_ – reached up, placed his hand over his best friend's mouth and, trying not to focus on the feel of those lips beneath his fingertips, licked his lips, and finally spoke.

"How long?"

Noah's brows furrowed together in confusion.

Albus tried again, hearing his words come out in a breathy whisper. "How long have you known you wanted to kiss me?"

He dropped his hand from Noah's mouth, letting him speak. Noah looked down at the ground, breaking eye contact.

"I…I don't know when exactly. It just…just now…it just seemed right. I'm sorry, Albus, I didn't mean too, honestly. It was just, your eyes had gone all shiny, and you were so close, and I could smell your breath and you smelled like the waffles we had for breakfast. It was just so…_intoxicating_. I've known for a while that I liked boys, and I wasn't sure how I was going to tell you, but then, well…"

He shook his head and began to turn away from Albus. On instinct he grabbed Noah's hand and he stopped moving with a short gasp. But he didn't look back at Albus and he was forced to talk to the back of his blond head.

"Noah, I…I never thought of you that way before." He saw Noah flinch. "Because you've always been my best friend. And I don't know when it happened, and I never even thought of any other boy like that, but somehow, Noah, sometime between that first train ride to Hogwarts and now, I fell in love with you."

Another gasp and Noah spun to face him, eyes searching his for something that Albus didn't know. He continued anyway.

"It was literally just now that I realized it, while you were dancing. Like I said, I don't know when exactly my feelings for you grew stronger, and it's probably because I'm just so used to being around you that these feelings just feel so _natural_ to me that I didn't think anything of them."

He tugged Noah closer to him. "But now I know and I don't ever want these feelings to end because, Noah, you make me feel like I've never felt before, and it's amazing and thrilling and slightly scary all at the same time. I never thought I was gay before, but now I guess this explains why I've never really been attracted to any of the girls at this school. It's because the only person I've ever really been attracted to – well, I already had him at my side."

The next thing Albus knew, Noah's lips were back on his, and everything melted around him. His hand found its way to rest on Noah's neck, where he could feel his pulse racing beneath his smooth skin. Noah had tangled his in Albus's hair and, wow, did that feel nice. Their lips moved together softly at first, then pressing more firmly as they tried to get closer. Everything was smooth and hard and slightly wet, but the dizziness in his head only made him want to deepen the kiss, to feel more of the fire running through his veins, and to never stop having Noah's skin on his.

Unfortunately, his lungs did not concur with the thought running through his mind that kissing Noah was more necessary than air, and so he had to pull away from him, although he did so reluctantly. Panting heavily as he struggled to catch his breath, Albus rested his forehead against Noah's. Slowly, a grin stretched across his face and he could see it mirrored on his best friend's.

A noise caused them to jump apart in surprise, and when Albus looked to his right, he felt his eyes widen.

James Potter, his older brother, stood there with his arms crossed, one eyebrow raised, as he looked back and forth between Albus and Noah. Albus held his breath, not sure what James would say, or how he would react. He looked serious, which was rare, causing Albus to feel uneasy about where this might lead.

Finally, James seemed to make a decision about whom he would address, and turned to Noah who cringed and began to step away from Albus.

"Look, James, I-"

James held up a hand. "Shut it, Scorpius."

Noah bristled. "I told you not to call me that. I hate my first name. It's _Noah_."

James waved a hand dismissively as he moved to stand in front of Noah, whom he towered over easily. Noah gulped. "Look, as Al's older brother, it is my obligation to tell you that if you hurt him in anyway, then I will have to hurt you. Got it?"

Noah nodded meekly, glancing briefly over at Albus, who shrugged.

"And as for you, Albus," James continued, turning to face his brother.

"Yes, James?"

James narrowed his eyes at him, crossing his arms over his chest. Albus winced. Of course this was too good to be true. There was no _way_ James was okay with this.

"Mom wants you to OWL her back about whether you're staying here for the holidays or not. Honestly, Al, why do I always end up getting told to remind you to do these things? I'm not your keeper you know."

Albus felt his jaw drop slightly, staring at his brother, who was grinning now.

"See you at dinner then?" he asked as he began to walk past Albus to head back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Wait, James-" Albus reached out and grabbed his brother's arm to stop him.

"Yeah, Al?"

Albus took a breath. "You're not…you don't…_us_?"

James looked at Noah then back at Albus and shrugged. "So? You two are together. Haven't you always been?" He smiled at Albus. "I don't see the difference between you two and Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron. Except that you two fight less."

Then, with a wink, James left, leaving Albus standing there feeling the most love for his brother he had ever felt in a long time. Turning to face Noah, he found his best friend wiping away at his eyes. He frowned.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, taking one of Noah's hands in his own.

"I just…I just wish I had a family like yours who would be so willing to accept me," he whispered.

Albus frowned as he absentmindedly began to stroke Noah's hand with his thumb. "What are you talking about?"

"My dad. You know what he's like," Noah said, not looking up from the ground. "He barely acknowledges your father's existence, and he grew up living in a bigoted pureblood family. It took him a long time just to get over his prejudices and I _know_ he was disappointed when I got Sorted into Gryffindor and not Slytherin. But this? Being gay? How the hell am I to expect him to accept me for loving you?"

Without any hesitation, Albus found himself lifting Noah's chin with his hand so that he was forced to look him in the eye.

"Because," he told him, "you are his son. And if there's one thing that your father had to have learned during the Battle of Hogwarts, it's that family is the most important thing in life, and nothing can, or should, come between the love of a parent and a child."

Noah choked on a sob before launching himself at Albus, bringing their lips together once more in a breath of air that was like a kiss.

Albus Severus Potter always thought he was different.

As it turns out, he was just in love.

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><p><em>AN: If you are wondering why I didn't include "slash" in my summary, that is because in my opinion, "slash" should be reserved only for stories about two characters who are established heterosexuals and are being "converted" by the author into homosexuals (besides the fact that I also believe that homosexuality is no different than heterosexuality and shouldn't be distinguished in a story). As it is, Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy were never given sexual orientations, and this oneshot was born from the idea popping into my head that "Albus Severus is gay." _

_Because of that, it is now my headcanon that he is gay, and until Ms. Rowling confirms that, I am allowed to believe whatever I want._

_As it is, I have no idea about Scorpius, and only used him because I would personally like to see Draco's offspring continue his father's growth into a better human being, and also because I couldn't think of any other character's child I wanted to use (I didn't want to use an OC, for some reason) and because I chose Scorpius, it turned out better than I thought because of the whole father issue. And yes, I did give him the middle name of Noah (named after Narcissa) because, honestly, I hate the name Scorpius and as a teenager in the twenty-first century, who would want to be called that? Don't hate me if you would, I just don't like it personally._

_And it also helped with making a nice surprise for you readers. :)_


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